Valve-actuating mechanism



Jan. 20 1931. o. DELITSCH 1,789,353

VALVE ACTUATING MECHANISM Fild Aug. 24, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IIIIH IZ ll-"-;:J

W TNESS o HB/ENJQ? h 6 F. I v I e SC ATTORNEY Jan. 20, 1931. o. DELITSCH VALVE ACTUATING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 24, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR O.De|i1'sch.

a1 V M ATTORNEY WITNESS Jan. 20, 1931. o, DELiTscH 1,789,353

VALVE ACTUATING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 24, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 WITNESS INVENTOR Q-Delil'sch BY (1.75M

ATTORNEY 7 STA Patented Jan. 20,1931

jorro DELI'TSYCI-IIVOF BROOKLAWN, stoucns'rnaiivnw JEasEY, AssIe NoR-f'ro menousn ELECTRIC & manuraoruame comr mg a, coaroaarrrolv or rmvn- SYLVANIA' j r VAL E A TUA r ivG n HAN IsM My invention relates to a valve-actuating -mechan1sm, and lt-has foran ob ect to 1m same morereliablev i 5 specific objectof my iiiteaeonfis to eliminate binding andbending of the valve stems in agmultiple-valvesteam chest which may be caused by inaccuracies of the parts. Another object is to provide a housing for 1 a spring such that practically all danger-t accidentallyreleasing the spring in assembling or disassemblingis avoided.

- Another. objectis to provide a'mecha-nism for opening and closing a plurality'of valves 1 in sequence, having the closing springsso arranged that a minimum of force is required I ofthe governorortherelay to open the valves. I

Another object mechanism for opening and closing a plurality of valves, having a main closing spring disposed to one sideof the linkage'where it may be more easily assembled, where it does not use space necessary toaccommodate I 5 the'valv'e stems and linkage. 1

One embodiment of apparatus exemplify 1 ing invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which: ,Fig. 1 isa vertical section of the apparatus, taken on the line I'. I in Fig. 2 and in Fig. 3; -Fig. .2 isa vertical section taken at right angles to the section in Fig. 1, and corre.- sponds to the line II+I-I Fig. 1 and in Fig.3; --I

Fig.3 is a plan view; 7 7 Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views taken on V the lines IV-IV and VV, respectively, of -Figs;1and3. 6 Referring nowto thedrawing in detail, I

a show a steam chest -10-havinga; primary valve ll and a secondary valve 12 therein. Valve stems 13 and 14 are connected to and'operate 'vided inthe steamchest 10. The stems are pivotally connected 'to and operatedby a lever 17/ As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the

lever 17 is composedof parallel links 18 and 1 19 which are rigidlys'ecured together by bolts ZO'and nuts 21;the 1bOlts QObeing I'ormed'with V V V I g g I f shoulders abutting the links to space themi prove; the operation thereof, andrto make the The valve stem14 'is pivot ally secured to the lever 17 i by means of links 22"al.1013123,

, whichjallow a swinging 'motion' 7 to the lever 17 in its longitudinal direction 'and are' pihfastened to'the endsofa block'24, whi chflin Q turn is screwedand locked tothe end offthe stem 14. f Th elinks arehinged attheir upper ends on gudgeons 2 6 and .27 carried by' a spacing member 25 and extendingthrough I thelinks 18 and1 9bf the lever 17;It'will 1 thus be seenthat the lever 1763mm rotate V dinally with respect tothe steml be used the connection of'the links 22 and '23) ,7 i The stem13 hasl secured at'its upper'enda isto provide a linkage member 31 ,"which may be screwed to the stem.

t-er also extending through openings in' the.

links 18 and '19. The'diameterfof the open.-

,ing is slightly larger. than the diamet'eifof ,the pin 33, permitting a slight relative rocking' of the 'memberf31 and the pin'33; similar to the freedom of ball andsocket joint, Spacing blocks 34 are disposed on each side of the member 31 andfmaintain it improper relation 'tdthe links 18' and19. *As will be noted from the drawing, theblocks 34 are beveled adjacent the member 31. Thelever' 1 7 and the stem 13fmaytherefore'rotate a limitedamount relatively to each other about the axis of the lever 17 this bei'ng permitteol by the size of the opening 32 and the beveling ofthe spacing blocks34. The pin 33 isfpreferably pr ends to maintain it'in place.

vided with cottei 'pins atyits This construction eliminates binding ofthe parts and bending of the valve stems5 which might otherwise be caused by inaccuracies in manufacture. For'example,*it is'very dithcult-i0 cut the screw threads in the block 24 at exactly right angles thereto; consequently this block may be angularly misalignedrelatively to the stem-114, Misalignment in a 7 plane transverse of the lever 17 is transmitted to the lever but isallowedffor by the pin 33 turning relatively to" the member 31, and

longitudinal misalignment is allowed for by the hinged connections of the links 22 and 23.

A lever 36 is pivoted at 37 to a stationary part of thesteam chest, and forms the connection between the valve operating mechanism and the governor or relay (the latter not shown) The end 3901? the'lever 36is connected to the lever 17 for operating thesame. "Apin 41 is sec-ured'in the endof the lever and has rotatably mounted thereon a block 42. The block 42 has gudgeons 43 extending at right angles to the lever 36 and parallel with the lever 17. A lock nut 44 or any equivalent means is providedto retain the block42 on the pin 41. Links 45 are pivotedon the gudgeons 43 ,and extend upwardly to the leverl'T-x'- A block 46 is pivoted to'the.lever17 by means of Jgudgeons 47 extending through i p is provided which is secured to the link 17 at openings in the linkslS and 19. '18 block 46 is also provided with a pin 48; whose ends extend through openings in the ends of the links 45. Any suitable means, such as cotter pins are provided at the ends of the pin 48 to retain the links thereon.

It will thusbeseen that the levers 36 and 17 are so connected that vertical movement of .the lever 36 is transmitted to the lever 17 but that relative movement in any horizontal direction is provided for.

In order to provide the desired sequence of' opening of the valves lland 12, aspring 51 a point nearer to the end at which the stem 16 is secured, the lower endof the spring being secured to a stationary part of the steam chest. At the opposite end of thelever17,;

near the stem 13, is a rod 52 secured to the steam chest and havinga nut 53 forming an adjustable abutment at the upper end thereof. The lever 17 is provided with'a collar 54 iaving an opening through which the rod52 extends, and which is adapted to contact with the nut 53 upon completion of the upward or opening movement of valve 11.

Upon upward movement of the lever 36 to open the valve, the spring 51 retains the secondary valve 12 closed and the lever 17 therefore opens theprimary valve 11., Upon complete opening of the primary valvell, the collar 54 strikes the nut 53 and limits further movement of this end of the lever 17, acting as a fulcrum: therefor. Further upward movement imparted to the lever 17 nmst now be transmitted to the secondary valve 12'against the force of the spring 51. In order to bias the valves to one end of the spring projecting beyond the closed position, and in order to save space and increase in governor force and the use of many heavy springs, I provide a spring which acts on the lever 36 and which is therefore effective on all the valves. The lever 36 is provided with a forked extension 61, and this extension is adapted to be acted upon by my novel form of spring assembly.

the end 39 of A compression spring 62 is disposed in a housing 63, the upper end 60 thereof being closed and forming an abutment or holding member for the upper end of the spring. The lower end of the spring is held by a holding member 64, which is also adapted to contact with the forked extension 61, being preferably provided with a. knife edge 65 which The holding member 64 is shown as cupshaped, this'providing a convenient arrangement. t will be apparent, however, that it maybe of any other-form, for example, it may be in the form of a disc. An opening 72 is provided in the center of the holding member 64,'through which extends'a bolt 67. The bolt67 is screw-threaded to a retaining member68, the lattermember having a collar 69, by means of which it is held against down-- ward movement through an opening in the closed end 60. The'lower end of the bolt 67 is provided with an abutment or enlarged portion 71,'which is larger than the opening '7 2 in the holding member 64, and the upperend of which forms a shoulder 76 adapted to abut against the holding member 64.

The enlarged portion 71 of the bolt 67 is preferably, as shown inFig. 3, square-in cross section and fits between the forks of the extension 61, and also between thesides of a slot '64 cut across the holding member'64 whereby the bolt 67 is held against rotation.

' The upperend of the member 68 is formed in the shape of a nut, as shown at70, whereby it may be rotated or turned in order to screw it on to or off from the rod 67. A look nut 73 is preferably'provide dto prevent rotation of the'me mber 68 when it has'been adjusted to its desired-position. A cap 74 encloses the nut 73 and the upper end of the member 68 and the rod 67, and is secured to the housing63. 1 V n The housing 63 ispreferably secured to the steam chest by meansof tap bolts 75. The

screw threadsof the tap bolts '7 5, and of the tapped holes in; the steam chest into' which they are inserted, are made longer than the distance between the shoulder 76 and the holding member 64 when the forked extension61 is in the lowermost position The purpose of this'is to compress the spring 62 seats in a groove 66 in the fork extension. I

as the casing 63 is secured tothesteam chest. 7

' The'retaining structure for the spring 62 is assembled, as follows:

The spring 62, in an extended or uncompressed state, is inserted in the housing 63,

the screw-threaded end ofthe bolt 67. The

. member 68 is then rotated by means of the nut portion 70, drawing the bolt 67, the member 64 and the projecting end of the spring into the housing and compressing the'spring 62. The nut 73 is then screwed on to the bolt,

67 to secure the member 68 against rotation,

spring were compressed too greatly, and

would not engage the lock nut 73 if the spring were insufiiciently compressed; To mount the spring assembly on thesteam chest, it is I placed over the fork extension 61, the knife edge 65 of the member 64 seating: in the groove66. As the spring holds the member 64 down against the shoulder 76,'the assembly is held up from the top surface ofithe steam chest 10. The tap bolts 7 5 are inserted through the openings 7 6 and engaged in'the screw threads of the tap hole Tl'in the steam fchest. The bolts are then screwed down,

drawingthe housing-63 down and further compressing the spring 62; Asthe housing f 63 moves down, the shoulder 76 leavesthe member'64, and the force of the spring 62 is -then'effective upon the forked extension 61.

Dan er of in'ur due to accidentalrelease is also eliminatedin the second step, inasmuch as the bolt 7 5 holds the structure to' the steam'chest before any force is applied to the fork extension of thele'ver 36. r

The operation of the above structure,

which will be apparent from the description, 1 is as follows? The governor, or

tuates the lever, 17 through the links/I5 1 a verticaldirection.

The spring 51 holds the end of thelever 17 connected to. the secondary valve' and r conseqeuntly the leverl? raises the primary valve 11 until the collar 54' strikes the abutment 53. Thereupon the abutment 53 acts as a fulcrum, and further upward movement imparted to the lever results in opening of g the secondary valve 12 against the force of the spring 51. In closing, the reverse operation takes place. n

By providing universal connections be tween the lever 36 and the links 45, and between the links 45 and the lever 17, no horizontal movements are transmitted, thereby avoiding all difficulties due to the parts mov ing in other than exactlya vertical direction.

dVhile I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so:limited,' but is V a relay operated there aji by, operates the lever 36, which, 1111311111, ac-

susceptible of various changes and modifi cations, without departing, from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore,{ that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as Y I are imposed by the prior art, or. as are specifically set forth in the appended claims. a

-' WhatI claim is:

1 In a valve-operatingimechanism for a plurality of valves, thecombination of a stem connected to each valve and longitudinally slidable in a stationary part, a longitudinal part connected to each stem and adaptedto control the movements thereof, the connection between one steam-and the longitudinal, part preventing relative rotation about the longitudinal part, and the connection between the other stem or stems and said part permitting at least some'relative rotation about the I longitudinal part.

2, In an-operating mechanism fora plurality of valves, the combination of a lever coni nected to each of said valves, a second lever: fQroperating said valves through the first mentioned lever and extending transversely of the first-mentioned lever, said second-mentioned lever b'eingpivoted to a stationary ful- V crum on one side of the first-mentioned lever, and a spring assembly disposed; on the other side of the first-mentioned lever and. biasing,

the second lever in'the direction for closing said valves. i

3. In a valve operatlng mechanism for a plurality of valves,.the combinationv of ay 7' member connected tofeach valve andlongitudinally slidable in a stationary part, a lever connected to the members and adapted to control the movements thereof, said lever "com prising" two parallel links fastened together in spaced relation, one of said members extending between said links of'the lever and and'extending through said opening for pive otally connecting the; member to the lever,

the openingbeing slightly larger than the pin I to permitsome relative angulardisplacement about an axis longitudinal of the;lever,' and the other member straddling the lever and pivotally connected to the outer sides of the linksthereof, the'latteroonnection preventing, relative angular displacement about an axis longitudlnal of the lever; I

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subs scrioed jinyna'me this 22nd day of August, 192.,

i OTTO DELITSGVHI.

i so) 105 having an opening, a pin secured to. the links 

